Rocket City falls to Pensacola
Published 3:00 am Thursday, September 16, 2021
- Rocket City Trash Pandas logo
A ninth-inning home run by Pensacola Blue Wahoos shortstop Demetrius Sims proved to the difference, defeating the Rocket City Trash Pandas 3-2 Tuesday night at Toyota Field.
This was the first game of a six-game series between the two teams to finish out the regular season.
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Pensacola got on the board first with a sacrifice fly by JJ Bleday early in the top of the first, off of Rocket City starting pitcher John Swanda.
But the Trash Pandas tied things up at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame after Torii Hunter Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk to score Luis Aviles Jr.
Hunter got the Trash Pandas the lead in the third when he once again stepped up to the plate with the bases full, this time lining a RBI single to left, scoring Mitch Nay to go up 2-1.
Swanda was removed from the game in the fourth inning with Rocket City Athletic Trainer Yusuke Takahashi. Mathias Dietz relieved Swanda and gave up a RBI single to Sims to tie the game at 2-2.
Swanda gave up two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts in his 3 2/3 innings pitched.
In the middle of the fifth inning, heavy rainfall came down, causing a 16-minute rain delay. But as play resumed, the score remained 2-2 until the ninth inning when the Wahoos ultimately secured a victory and sealed an eighth straight loss for the Trash Pandas.